4.6 Billion Year Symphony of Evolution Chapter 16

Recap: Lin managed add viruses to its a.r.s.enal in the form of infectors.

Chapter Sixteen Water Current

Lin’s plant was to continue to take over this rock, and all of the food cracks, but the sudden appearance of the water current interrupted its plans.

Water, Lin’s understanding of it was that it was something that was found all over the world. Its cells could only move with water. Water had always been very serene, but sometimes, it would become fatal ice crystals, and sometimes, like now, it would become ferocious and scary.

A fast current flashed by, and swept the entire rocky area. Countless cells were caught up in this current, and immediately disappeared.

Lin had most of the cells hide behind some taller rocks. The diggers and cone-shaped cells could use their denticles to wedge and secure themselves in the rock cracks. However, this could not prevent a great loss of its cells.

Another fast current went by. Large numbers of cells were blown away, and left Lin’s field of view.

The losses were more than three thousand.

Lin silently calculated. The cells that had been swept away were still within range of Lin’s thoughts, and it could feel them. However, when Lin had them try to swim back, they would quickly be scattered even further away by the fast current.

Lin didn’t know why the water current had changed to be like this, just like it didn’t know why the water would freeze. Even if the cell group had grown much larger, there were many things that Lin did not understand. Facing the ferocity of water, Lin didn’t even have a chance to resist and could only endure it.

This strong flow was not a long-lasting one but one that came in waves. There was no pattern to be found, and Lin could not calculate a time.

Another wave of water carried away a large number of cells. Lin did not want to wait here for death. Who knew how long the flows of water would continue for? If this continued, Lin would lose at least 90% of its cell group, only the ones that were hiding in the stones left.

While a small number of cells would not die after being carried away, but scattered, it was easy for them to encounter viruses or attacks from other cells. Even if Lin’s thoughts would not get lost, but Lin didn’t know how long it would take for them to swim back.

So Lin started to act. It did not fight against the water current but swam even deeper to a place that no water flow could influence.

Lin needed to hide in the rock.

But none of the cell type could dig through the hard rock. Therefore, Lin only had one way to hide in the rock.

Entering through that crack which sprouted hot water.

That crack was enough to hold dozens of cells. Lin had inspected it closely before. The hot vent became broader the deeper it got. Lin estimated there was an enormous s.p.a.ce inside.

The hot water only came out of some of the smaller cracks on the walls of the crack. If Lin went in deeper, the water definitely would not be so hot.

Then the only remaining question was how to pa.s.s through the initial and hottest vent.

After the next wave of current pa.s.sed, Lin immediately gathered large numbers of cells to swim towards the opening of the hydrothermal vent. It intended to enter before the next water current came. Lin already had defenses against this vent.

Lin had the enormous cachers form a s.h.i.+eld at the front to block off the hot water that was coming. They led the cells to advance deeper.

The strength of the hot water was much weaker than the water current outside. Even against the hot flow, Lin’s cell group could easily advance, especially since the vent was in a period of inactivity.

Lin had exercised the cachers to increase their ability to endure heat. While they would die if they were immersed for a long time, even after dying from the heat, Lin would have the cone-shaped cells hook the bodies and continue to use the cachers as s.h.i.+elds. Using this method, Lin successfully had many cells get inside the hydrothermal vent.

Just as Lin had thought, as it went deeper, the s.p.a.ce increased, from the start where the s.p.a.ce could only hold a few dozen cells to a s.p.a.ce that could hold thousand of cells. Lin felt that if it reached the bottom, it would not be a problem to hold all of its cells in the s.p.a.ce.

Also, at this depth, there were no cracks on the wall that were sprouting hot water. The temperature of the water here started to recover to normal.

Lin seemed to have great luck. From entering the mouth to now, there hadn’t been a water current. A large number of its cells was already safe.

Just as Lin was thinking of this, a very strong water current blew past the rock and washed away many of Lin’s cells that were outside the crack.

However, more than 70% of Lin’s cells had entered, and there were not many left outside.

Lin found that its cell group was staring to near the bottom of the crack. It was extremely s.p.a.cious here, and it seemed like an enormous cavern.

But there was a problem … …

It was especially dark.

Lin tried to estimate the size of this s.p.a.ce using the tiny amount of light that was coming from the entrance but it could not see any more details.

Once it left the area directly under the entrance, it was endless darkness.

Should it go risk it by going into the dark? Or wait here for the water currents to stop?

Lin didn’t feel any of them were good choices.

… … en?

Lin suddenly saw a flash of light in the dark cavern.

What was that?

Blue dots of light flashed in Lin’s view. They turned dark and then light again in the darkness. This aroused Lin’s curiosity.

LIn had never seen light in darkness before. It wanted to know what that was, but it was more concerned if that was a threat or safe.

Therefore, Lin had several diggers swim towards the dots of light.

Lin could feel from the digger’s senses that the dots of light created ripples in the water … … it was … … alive?

Also, the moment the diggers got close, the entire cavern suddenly lit up.

Light … …

Countless dots of light successively lit up in Lin’s view. They formed a sea of light that was like stars in s.p.a.ce and pushed away the darkness here.

Stars in s.p.a.ce?

Lin found that when it saw the lights, it received a new term. This term seemed to describe something that was vast and boundless.

Lin noticed that the lights were composed of numerous smaller dots of light. these little dots were small oval-shaped cells. They were only a fifth the size of Lin’s cells, but their bodies flashed with a marvelous blue light.

Under the help of the light, Lin noticed the appearance of the cavern. It really was a big one, the area comparable to Lin’s territory outside. More importantly, this place was also filled with the white and soft food.

However, the food here did not come out of the cracks. They were glued in a layer of white gel to the walls of the cavern. It was all over the cavern.

White gel? Right, so it will name the food white gel.

The cells with light were eating the white gel. Because of the abundance of food, they almost completely covered the cavern. But even though they were so numerous, they seemed to be extremely afraid of Lin. Lin found that if those diggers went close, the surroundings cells with light would immediately flee.

Lin seemed to have found a good place. This place did not appear to have some strong foe, and it was not affected by the water current. Where would there be a better place than this to developed its cell group?

Yes, it only needed to kill this group of very weak things … ..

Lin moved to look at the light cells present. With just a thought, large numbers of diggers, cone-shaped cells and acid ejectors could easily destroy all the weak little cells here.

But Lin hesitated in acting.

They knew how to make light, but if they were all killed, Lin could have a bigger cell group and a safe territory. Also, Lin could also evolve the ability to give off light in this environment. There was no use in leaving them … …

While Lin thought like this, Lin still didn’t act as it looked at the flas.h.i.+ng cells.

… … this feeling … …

It seemed to have appeared before.

Translator Ramblings: Water currents are dangerous things. Bioluminescence is pretty.